Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - The second day of racing at the 2010 Melges 32 Gold Cup Regatta, hosted by the Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC) was limited to two races due to ultra-light breezes. "Mentally, I was so frustrated today, but what I found to be key was staying focused. The light air was shifty and the little changes make such a big difference. I thought the breeze in race one was actually quite nice." said new overnight leader Ryan DeVos on Volpe. "The second race was far more difficult than the first. Just staying focused and realizing that if you make a mistake, you'll have the chance to potentially make up for it is important."

Moving up the leader board from fourth to second overall is Steve Howe on Warpath. "The forecast is supposed to be good tomorrow. Second race was the big challenge for us today. We had a little altercation with Dawn Raid at the start, but in the end we got really lucky." commented Morgan Larson,tactician aboard Warpath. "We caught a nice shift right at the finish which helped balance in our favor." Rod Jabin's Ramrod slipped slightly from the top spot to third overall.

Race one got underway on time with the very young DeVos leading from the get-go, holding on until the finish. Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica came closest to catching DeVos finishing second. Bob Hughes, serving as a replacement helm for the absent Dalton DeVos, drove Delta to a satisfying third place finish.

Two immediate attempts were made to get race two started, but the wind failed to cooperate. Almost an hour-and-a-half later, the race committee put the fleet into sequence. It was another great showcase of speed and careful attention to the shifts by Alex Jackson's Leenabarca and strong opposition from Geoff Pierini on Shakedown. The two traded places, Jackson taking the first mark, Pierini overtaking the lead by a hair through the gate, then Jackson reclaiming the top position and extending for the win. Jeff Ecklund on STAR, Joe Woods on Red, Kip Meadows on roXanne, Warpathand Devos' Volpe all shuffled top positions throughout the race with Pierini claiming second, Meadows in third, Howe finishing fourth and DeVos closing out in fifth.

Saturday was a special day for youth sailors participating in the Lauderdale Yacht Club's Junior Sailing Program. Take A Junior Sailing Day has become a high-profile, signature feature of the Melges 32 Gold Cup. "These kids are on top of the world right now and so excited to be able to be a part of something so professional." said Brad Funk, one of several LYC Sailing Program coaches. "I think you will find that many of them are anything but relaxed. They truly realize that being on one of these boats is a great opportunity. They see how attentive the rest of team is and what they could be when sailing their own boat whether it be an Opti, 420 or a Laser." View the Take A Junior Sailing Day Crew Assignments

"This type of youth involvement is exactly what makes the sport of sailing so exciting. These kids come along and think they are doing a great job in what boat they're sailing, or class they are learning to race, winning whatever they are winning. Then, they come here and see the levels that they can get to. It's a real eye opener." said former America's Cup helmsman Ed Baird, tactician aboard DeVos' Volpe. "They suddenly realize there is so much more they need to learn and experience. At the same time, it is really fun for all the Melges 32 teams."

"I remember when I was a kid, we raced big boats at our clubs that needed crew and learned a tremendous amount from that." continued Baird. "It's harder to make that happen these days, at least in my part of the world. So, this is a very valuable experience for these kids. To learn about preparation, planning ahead, working with a team, it's really a different thing from sailing your boat by yourself, or even a 420 with another person."

To further prove what a big deal youth sailing is and has become in South Florida, the Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation has recently been established. The foundation is dedicated to favorably impacting the lives of young people, primarily between the ages of eight and eighteen. They educate young sailors about sailing and boating, weather, marine safety, sea conditions, maritime ‘rules of the road’, racing, tactics, first aid and improve spatial and mathematical skills. Most importantly, they aim to provide them with tools to build character and support in the areas of education while advocating leadership.

The Lauderdale Yacht Club Sailing Foundation's 'coming out' benefit takes place this Monday, December 6th and some of yachting's biggest names will be there to support the event including of Russell Coutts, James Spithill, Buddy Melges, Bill Koch and Anna Tunnicliffe, just to name a few.

MEGA MEDIAFriends, family and fans of the Melges 32 are able to tune-in and enjoy the racing action and developments from a distance, special thanks to Sail 22’s all new Sailing Updates. They will bring as-it-happens coverage from the water as well as after racing sailor interviews.